BZFLAG? GMWAR?
You can download the BZFLAG package, including the user game client, the server, and text server control interface here, or at any of the popular download sites.
BZFlag is an open source, multi-platform, cross-platform, internet or LAN, tank shooter game based on Battle Zone. It is available for Linux, FreeBSD, MSWindows, MacOSX, and many other platforms. Wikipedia describes it here.
According to bzflag.org's wiki about downloading
    BZFlag supports the following operating systems:
  • Windows 95 or newer
  • Linux 2.1 or newer
  • Mac OS X (10.2+)
  • Solaris (all versions)
  • Irix 5.3 or newer
  • FreeBSD (in ports)
    BZFlag requires
  • at least 4MB of disk space and 16MB of RAM.
  • A network connection.
    • A working internet connection is only required if you want to play on the Internet. LAN play is terrific as well.
    For playing on servers over the internet, your connection should have a reasonably low latency. Cable modem and DSL work great so long as nobody at your end of the connection is downloading or streaming while you are on. Any purist will, of course, want at least a 100baseT internet connection but we do what we can. Telephone modem is servicable for touring the on-line servers but you won't be able to do much playing. We recommend instead that you use the Options => Save Game feature to copy a game off and then play it locally if your are stuck with satellite, wireless or telephone modem connectivity.

Download it from sourceforge at http://sourceforge.net/projects/bzflag/

An OpenGL capable 3D graphics accelerator is highly recommended. Your graphics card must support OpenGL to get any 3D accleration. Most modern cards support OpenGL but Windows users may have to install extra drivers. You should check your card vendor's web site for the latest drivers.

These are also highly recommended:

The game may be served by any computer fast enough to run a GUI. The server may be launched from the game GUI, or from a command line interface on any of the supported OSs. The game GUI, as of v2.0.8, is fast enough to play on a 1Ghz Pentium or 600Mhz G4 if you have a video card supporting OpenGL.
Purple Panzer's BZFlag Page has an excellent introduction to BZFlag.
BZJournal has a series of beginner articles as well.
When a BZFlag server is run, it presents a world map to the users. The users connect to the world map using IP addresses or domain names. The world map presented may actually be automatically generated by the server if desired, or a custom map may be created and served. The random map is just fine for a private LAN party.
When a server is started, if configured from the command line or a configuration file, the server may be made available on a global public list. By default the server is not public. The public list is searchable and usually has a hundred or more servers available, a dozen or so of which will have players. The number of players supportable on a server is usually twenty or more, depending on the map being served, and on the bandwidth of the available connection. The bandwidth required per player is on the order of 5kbits/second per player but latency is really key here. A total latency between the player and the server shouldn't exceed 200mS. 100mS is optimal. This makes around the world play difficult and unusual. In country play is very tollerable even if the game is served over a DSL connection or cable modem.
The GUI provided in the game client allows a user friendly connection to the global server, selection of a game, and connection.
GMWAR
The reason you are at this web page is that you found a link to GMWAR. What is GMWAR?
GMWAR is the name I gave a BZFlag map that I created, with the help of many friends, relatives, and combatants. It has evolved over several years, though for several gaps of months in a row it suffered from inattention. Once in a while I get into bursts of creativity and make significant changes to it. Read the history here.
You can use BZFlag to connect to GMWAR by starting the game on an internet connection, then search in the server list for GMWAR. Or you can just type in gmwar.gameserve.org with port 5154.
Back to GMWAR
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